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Demining in Mozambique: women in the front line

Author of the article:

Ottawa Citizen

Publishing date:

February 25, 2014 • 1 minute read

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2014 will be a memorable year for Mozambique. Devastated by a 30-year war of independence, followed by a civil war that left tens of thousands dead (including about 30,000 from landmines), the country was once one of the most mined in the world. After decades of demining operations, it should soon be declared mine-free. Demining has been vital for the socio-economic future of the country: mines and explosive remnants of war prevent fields from being farmed, infrastructure from being built and limit the circulation of goods and people.

Handicap International has been demining in Mozambique since 1998. It is an arduous task requiring a large number of operators. In 2010, the organization launched a major recruitment campaign. Many women put themselves forward for the work, long considered to be a man’s job.

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Twelve women have joined Handicap Internationalâs demining teams in Mozambique. They followed a 45-day training course before starting work in the field.Demining requires full concentration, extreme precision and a lot of patience. The deminers work in the field for ten days then take four days rest.A work day starts at 5 am.The women use a metal detector and a large set of tools.Each deminer needs to wear protective clothing, weighing about four kilos. The temperature can rise as high as 40Â°C in Mozambique.Once they found their first landmine, they grew more confident. â75% of the population lives from the land. Weâve been hungry for years because we didnât dare venture into the fields. When I was young, I saw too many people suffer injuries because they went out to cut manioc. Iâm proud of the work I do for Handicap International,â explains Raufa, 21.One square metre of land can take hours to clear. It is estimated that Mozambique was polluted with over one million landmines.Enthusiastic and motivated, women deminers have proven that they are just as reliable as men in clearing the country and restoring land to their people.A day of demining ends at around 1 pm, when the heat becomes hard to bear.âIn the evening, after I get back to the camp and take a shower, I take off my demining clothes, put on something more feminine and become a young woman again, just like the others,â says Lurdes.

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